The transfer of power of Emperor Yongzheng can be described as treacherous, with blood and rain on the outside, and deceit on the inside. Historians have launched a heated discussion on the legitimacy of the Yongzheng Emperor's accession to the throne, and the succession of the emperor during the Kang Yong period has become a confusing historical mystery.
In that era of political change, how the opponents of the Yongzheng Emperor proved the incorrectness of his position became a key part of a political struggle. They searched everywhere for evidence and even spread rumors in an attempt to shake the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor. For the Yongzheng Emperor, who was on the throne, how to prove his legitimacy became an indispensable means, and this was not just to defeat the opposition at the moral level, the Yongzheng Emperor was thoughtful, and he had more sophisticated and ruthless political methods.
Emperor Yongzheng did not blindly stick to the justification of justice, he adopted a strategy of "returning the favor with his way". For those opponents who spread rumors, he not only refuted them, but also reversed black and white in the same way, giving his opponents a "hat". The Eight Masters Party, which was making waves in the Kangxi Dynasty, quickly collapsed under the thunderous momentum of Emperor Yongzheng, and the Eighth and Ninth Masters were tortured to death in prison. Together with the former imperial relative Prince Heshuo, under the hands of Emperor Yongzheng, it was difficult to escape the fate of being trumped up and killing each other. This method of "removing it and then speeding up" was an effective political attack for Emperor Yongzheng, but it also left a series of "sequelae".
As time passed, discontent spread within the clan. Emperor Yongzheng's high-pressure measures against the political opposition made the clan full of forbearance and resentment. Even the sons and nephews of Emperor Yongzheng questioned Emperor Yongzheng's rule. The gossip of hundreds of officials and people in the outside world is even more rampant, which makes Emperor Yongzheng very troubled. In order to clarify his legitimacy, Emperor Yongzheng set out to write a book called "The Mystery of the Great Righteous Jue".
The purpose of this work is to expound the legitimacy of Emperor Yongzheng's accession to the throne, and at the same time to reveal the "evil deeds" of Yinzhen, Yinyu and others. Emperor Yongzheng hoped that through the nationwide publication, the purpose of "purifying" the mind and unifying cognition could be achieved. However, the actual effect is far from what Emperor Yongzheng wanted. As soon as Emperor Qianlong came to power, he quickly banned the publication of "The Mystery of Dayi Jue", and tried to ** the version that had already been circulated. And the reason why Emperor Qianlong so quickly rejected his father's move was not only to correct his father's mistakes, but also to completely eliminate factors that might pose a threat to his throne.
The reason why Emperor Qianlong quickly rejected Emperor Yongzheng's policy can be described as a wise move. This kind of dispute is related to the family, and there is no need to explain it between the government and the opposition and the common people. Politically, the darker the effect is more firmly established in one's own authority. However, Emperor Yongzheng's success did not achieve the expected effect, but became an important reference material for later historians' research, and became a clue to explore the legitimacy of Emperor Yongzheng's throne.
After Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, he not only banned the publication of "The Mystery of Great Righteousness", but also brutally punished the reactionary Zeng Jing's master and apprentice. Zeng Jing's master and apprentice were forgiven and awarded a "gold medal for avoiding death" during the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, but they were executed by Ling Chi after the Qianlong Emperor came to power. Emperor Qianlong's decisive and ruthless tactics showed the political sophistication of a young emperor.
Under the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, a series of remarkable political achievements were indeed achieved. His reforms, such as apportioning the land into the acre, returning fire consumption to the public, and raising incorruptible silver, have all achieved remarkable results. However, on the road to proving his legitimacy, Emperor Yongzheng seemed to be a little inconsiderate. Although his political methods were ruthless, they failed to achieve the desired results, but instead buried future troubles. The rise to power of the Qianlong Emperor further exposed the political mistakes of the Yongzheng Emperor, and his rapid repudiation of the policies of the Yongzheng period showed the political acumen of the young emperor.
In general, although the road to the throne of the Yongzheng Emperor was full of twists and turns in history, his political methods and reform measures did leave a strong mark on the Qing Dynasty at that time. However, his political missteps in proving his legitimacy became important fodder for later research, showing that even the most shrewd emperor was inevitably guilty of some kind of lowly mistakes.